


Beta Test

by Gemmiel



Category: Free!
Genre: AU, Android AU, M/M, Science Fiction, a little bit of future fish maybe, scientist rei
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-08-16 13:46:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8104687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemmiel/pseuds/Gemmiel
Summary: Makoto is far and away the most beautiful human being Nanase Haruka has ever seen. There's only one catch.Makoto isn't a human being at all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't mean to get started on this one when I'm still working on my other stories, but it insisted. I've been meaning to write a Makoharu AU for a while, and this is what came into my head. This isn't exactly the most creative of setups, but hopefully we can take it somewhere interesting. It feels mostly like a lightweight fluffy humorous thing in this chapter, and there is nothing explicit here yet, but because it's me writing it, you can expect equal parts fluff, angst, and smut, sooner or later.

"I can't believe your company is manufacturing sex robots."

Ryuugazaki Rei frowns, annoyed by his boyfriend's teasing tone. He has been dating Hazuki Nagisa for ten years now, ever since high school, and sometimes he wonders why. Nagisa can be so _very_ irritating.

"They are androids, not robots, Nagisa-kun. Totally humanoid to all appearances. Furthermore, it's my father's company, not mine. And it is an oversimplification to say that Ryuugazaki Robotics is creating these machines merely for sexual purposes. We intend to produce these realistic androids for numerous uses, including cleaning, teaching, companionship..."

"And sex."

"And sex," Rei admits, feeling his cheeks heat slightly. He shoves his red-framed glasses up on his nose and clears his throat. "Our market research indicates a huge untapped market for such devices."

"No wonder. Look at them. They're incredible, Rei-chan. You've done an amazing job with them."

Rei looks around the testing laboratory, letting his gaze drift (not without a good deal of pride) across two dozen perfect motionless forms, male and female. "Not just me," he answers. "These machines are the product of countless thousands of man hours. All the programming, all the aesthetic design, all the lab tests. Once testing is completed--"

"Testing?" Nagisa hoots with delight. "How exactly do you test a sex robot, Rei-chan?"

"That," Rei responds primly, "is not my department. But I can assure you, Nagisa-kun, that we have not only been testing how the androids perform in bed. The company has completed all factory tests, and now we must turn to beta testers before we can begin selling these models. They have to be tested in the field, in order to see how they react to an unpredictable environment, how they behave outside the restricted environs of the laboratory." He frowns at Nagisa, whose sakura eyes have lit up in what Rei considers a very dangerous fashion. "And no, you absolutely may _not_ be a beta tester. I refuse to share you with an artificial man who's been manufactured to be both stunningly beautiful and outstanding in bed. You might decide I'm not as pleasing as he is."

Nagisa's voice takes on a syrupy tone. "No robot could possibly be as beautiful as you are, Rei-chan. And no machine could ever satisfy me the way you do."

Rei squints suspiciously. "You are being significantly more complimentary than is typical for you, Nagisa-kun. What precisely are you up to?" He feels a frown furrowing his forehead. "You aren't actually angling to become a beta tester... are you?"

"Of course not." Nagisa pats him on the head (standing on tiptoes to manage it) and offers his brightest smile, which Rei knows from experience often conceals a dark and terrible purpose. "But I was just thinking that... well, we both know someone who's absolutely perfect for the job."

Rei's frown deepens. "Ryuugazaki Robotics relies upon trained and vetted beta testers--"

"But surely," Nagisa says, very sweetly, "if you're truly trying to find out how these robots function in an _unpredictable environment,_ you should use at least a few testers who have no training. Anyway, as the son of the company's founder, if you were to suggest someone..."

Rei heaves an irritated sigh. "Nagisa, why don't we skip all your efforts to confuse me by muddying the waters, metaphorically speaking? Tell me exactly whom you are considering for this."

Nagisa grins brightly at him. "Haru-chan."

"Haru--!" Rei chokes on the name. Nanase Haruka is one of their best friends from high school, and the three of them were on the swim team together. He is fond of Haruka-senpai, very fond indeed, but the idea of him as a beta tester--

"Haruka-senpai hates people," he points out.

"Don't be silly. He loves us."

"He tolerates us." Privately Rei is quite certain that Haru loves both of them with all his heart and soul-- but he has to admit it's far from obvious. Haru is not a demonstrative person by any stretch of the imagination. "And have you ever known him to have a romantic relationship last for more than a week?"

"That's why he's perfect!" Nagisa enthuses. "Who do you think your market is, Rei-chan? It's people like Haru-chan, people who, for whatever reason-- too busy or too difficult or just unlucky in love-- can't find someone of their own."

"I suppose you have a point," Rei says, thoughtfully. "After all, who but the desperate and lonely would turn to a soulless mannequin to satisfy their sexual and emotional needs?"

"That's a little harsh, Rei-chan. Not everyone _wants_ a romantic relationship, you know. I think Haru-chan prefers being on his own, most of the time. But he's definitely not asexual, either. Have you seen his DVD collection?"

"Unlike you," Rei responds with dignity, "I do not snoop around other's apartments."

"Rei-chan! I wasn't snooping. Just investigating a little. And between his DVDs and his manga, let me tell you--"

"I do _not_ care to know the lurid details of Haruka-senpai's reading and movie-watching habits," Rei breaks in hastily. He feels a little sorry for Haru, who has to rely upon such things, instead of sharing a warm and loving relationship with someone like Nagisa. His boyfriend is of course frequently annoying, but Rei can't imagine his life without him, and he sometimes wonders how Haru can survive on his own. He thinks about how lonely Haru seems sometimes, how in all the years they've known him, he's never had a real, lasting relationship. Haru is, to put it mildly, hard to get to know.

It begins to dawn on him that Nagisa has managed to hit upon an excellent idea. This could in fact work out brilliantly. An android will hang onto Haru's every utterance with rapt attention, help build up his confidence, aid in pulling him out of his shell a little. That's precisely what it's programmed to do, after all. And when it eventually returns to the lab, perhaps Haru will have enough residual self-confidence to embark upon a relationship with someone _real._

Rei becomes aware that he's been silent for several moments. He clears his throat. "Now that I think about it, Nagisa-kun, there's a certain merit to your idea. Haruka-senpai may indeed be the sort of person who will comprise our potential audience to a great degree, and it might be quite... _instructive_ to see how he interacts with one of our androids."

Nagisa grins widely, bouncing happily on his toes, and looks around the lab. His gaze falls on the largest of the androids, a tall, broad-shouldered male model with brown hair and bright green eyes.

"Awesome," he says. "I think I know just the one."


	2. Chapter 2

Haru is in the middle of sketching a picture of the ocean when someone knocks on his door.

He doesn't like getting interrupted in the middle of his work, so he ignores the first knock, and the second. But when someone begins rat-a-tat-tatting, his concentration is broken. Cursing softly, he pushes the paper and pencil aside, rises to his feet, and stalks to the front door of his apartment.

He flings it open to find Hazuki Nagisa standing there. Nagisa is grinning happily up at him, and most of Haru's irritation drains away instantly. It's difficult, he has found over the years, to stay angry with someone as small and cute as Nagisa. It's like trying to maintain a sense of annoyance with a wagging golden retriever while it licks your face.

Still, he doesn't want to give Nagisa the idea that he _likes_ company or anything, so he consciously draws his features into a scowl. "What are you doing here?"

"We brought you a present!" Nagisa sing-songs.

Haru glances around, puzzled. Nagisa seems to be very definitely alone. "We?" he echoes.

Nagisa beams. "Rei will be up in just a moment or two with your present. You're going to _love_ it, Haru-chan!"

Haru scowls more darkly than before. He is always suspicious of Nagisa's gifts, and with good reason.

"I don't want it."

"You don't even know what it is!" Nagisa bounces past him, into the apartment, and Haru sighs.

"Please do come in and make yourself at home," he intones, closing the door.

Undeterred by his snark, Nagisa flings himself down onto the plush leather sofa with a trill of laughter. "Oh, Haru-chan, you know you love company."

"What I love," Haru answers tersely, "is getting my work done."

"And this gift is going to help you do just that! It will free up so much more time for you to work, believe me. You're going to simply _love_ it, Haru-chan."

Haru doubts that very much. He and Nagisa have been close friends for a decade now, and yet they don't have the same taste in-- well, anything. He opens his mouth to say so, but another knock sounds on the door.

"And here it is!" Nagisa bounds to his feet like a rubber ball and bounces across the room. He flings the door open to reveal Ryuugazaki Rei, wearing his usual harried expression along with his ever-present white lab coat. Next to him stands another man.

The most beautiful man Haru has ever seen in his life.

He blinks, briefly transfixed by the sheer stunning radiance of the guy. He looks well over 180 centimeters tall-- tall enough that he towers over both Haru and Rei, neither of whom is short. He's practically as broad as he is tall, wide-shouldered and powerfully muscled, and his face is perfectly sculpted but completely lacking in any sort of egotism or arrogance. His eyes (an unnaturally brilliant shade of green) are guileless and sweet.

In short, he looks more like someone's vision of the Perfect Man than an actual living, breathing human being. He hasn't moved forward yet, and Haru might take him for a hyperrealistic statue, were it not for the way his eyes shift toward Haru and his lips curve upward into a warm, sweet smile.

He flashes that lovely smile at Haru, and Haru's stomach does a weird little dance.

He swallows hard, thinking that he gets it now. The "gift" is apparently yet another one of Nagisa's efforts to match him up with a guy. Probably Nagisa thinks he's been working too hard, that he hasn't been getting out enough, that he's becoming a hermit.

All of this is undeniably true. But usually he'd resent the hell out of it anyway.

But faced with this unbelievably gorgeous guy and his heartstopping smile, Haru finds he can't really find it in himself to mind all that much.

****

"Good morning, Haruka-senpai," Rei says politely. "May we come in?"

The other man has told him to call him "Haru" approximately ten thousand and three times, but somehow Rei can't manage to make himself say it. He's always admired Haru, looked up to him, respected him. At first, it was Haru's extraordinary talent at swimming that earned his admiration. More recently, it's been Haru's art.

Haru paints glorious watercolors of the beach, draws incredible detailed pencil drawings of gulls and crabs and marine life, creates magical sculptures out of the detritus he finds on the beach during his visits to Iwatobi. His art is undeniably beautiful, and it never fails to remind Rei of the place he hasn't seen for years, but still longs for. Even though they all live in Tokyo now... Iwatobi is still home.

And Haru's art invariably reminds Rei of that fact.

Haru, who's never one for extra words, waves a hand in a "come on in" gesture. Rei loves Haru's apartment, which is filled with furniture and knickknacks Haru handcrafted from items found on the beach-- a coffee table formed of interlocking pieces of driftwood; baskets woven of seagrass; green glass bottles, weathered and battered by the waves, perched on the windowsill; seashells scattered on every available surface. Not to mention Haru's many paintings and sketches of the harbor town where they all grew up adorning the walls.

But today Rei doesn't spare a glance for his surroundings. He watches Haru, and notices with pleasure that his gaze is locked on the gorgeous masculine form by his side. Well, he thinks, Haru _is_ an artist, after all, and he appreciates good art when he sees it.

Once again, he admits that Nagisa was probably right about letting Haru do this beta test. It's not surprising. Nagisa's instincts about people are generally infalliable, and he's a born matchmaker. The fact that he hasn't yet managed to match Haru successfully up with someone only reflects the fact that Haru doesn't get along well with-- well, almost anyone except his closest friends.

Rei walks into the apartment, the android following. He notices that Haru's bright blue eyes are still focused on it, his mouth slightly agape, and it's all he can do not to go off into one of his gales of laughter-- what Nagisa refers to as his Evil Scientist Laugh. He forces himself into his usual cool formality.

"Haruka-senpai," he says, "I would like to present Makoto."

Haru blinks slightly, as if puzzled by the lack of suffix or family name, but he inclines his head politely. Makoto does likewise.

"Hello, Haruka-san," he says, and his tenor voice sounds exactly as it should: mild, friendly, nonthreatening. He is a multi-purpose android, and while he is designed to be beautiful enough to be a satisfying sexual partner for nearly anyone, he is also intended to be unintimidating enough that he can watch over small children. Rei worked personally on the design of this particular model, and he feels that Makoto represents an excellent balance between beauty and approachability.

"Makoto is going to stay with you for a few weeks," he says.

Haru's mouth gapes a little wider. At last he closes it. The blue gaze shifts toward Rei, and he looks both annoyed and...

Vulnerable?

"I don't need a roommate," he says, his voice icy.

"He isn't a roommate, Haru-chan!" Nagisa's voice is cheerful and reassuring. "He's going to help you!"

"I don't need a babysitter, either."

Makoto steps forward. "I have been designed to help with all your needs," he says. His voice is polite without being obsequious, and despite the words there is no hint of a double entendre in his tone. 

Haru's eyes widen. "D-designed?" he echoes, sputtering in a very un-Harulike way. "What-- I don't-- is he--" He looks back at Rei, and Rei can see the precise moment understanding begins to dawn in his eyes. "Oh, no. No, no, no. You have _got_ to be joking."

"It's not a joke, Haru-chan!" Nagisa is almost unbearably chirpy. "He's a sex robot, just for you!"

Haru looks as shocked as Rei has ever seen him. But he also looks, well, intrigued. Rei rapidly moves onward, before Haruka-senpai has a chance to overthink this and dig his heels in. He is very fond of Haru, but he knows that his friend has a tendency to be recalcitrant. Obstinate. Intransigent.

Or perhaps he should dispense with the excessively descriptive words, and simply admit that Haru is hardheaded.

"Not a sex robot," he says quickly, in as persuasive a tone as he can manage. "Makoto is an android, created by Ryuugazaki Robotics and designed to perform numerous domestic tasks. For example, he can clean for you. Do your laundry. Wash the dishes. Prepare meals. Converse with you on all manner of topics."

Haru's voice is ice cold. "And screw me."

Rei coughs, shifting from foot to foot. Haru is more than a little scary when he's angry. "If that happens to be something you are interested in... then yes."

"That is _disgusting,_ " Haru snaps. His voice is colder than before, and Rei realizes with a growing sense of unease that Haru is angrier than he's ever seen him. "I'm not going to-- to _use_ him that way."

All at once Rei realizes the issue here. Haru is attracted to Makoto, but because he's Haru, he's almost immediately run headlong into an ethical dilemma. But Haru doesn't yet have enough information to understand that it isn't really a dilemma at all.

"Haruka-senpai," he says gently, "you are thinking of Makoto as a person. But I can assure you that despite appearances, he is only a very flexible machine. He is not capable of independent thought, and he feels nothing more than a vibrator would." He blushes a little despite himself. "There is nothing disgusting about it, I assure you."

Haru glares at him a moment longer, then turns his head and studies Makoto carefully. The android looks back at him, unblinking, utterly unfazed by the intent blue gaze. Haru walks over to him, very slowly, and stares into his eyes for a long moment.

"Are you sure?" he says at last, softly. "Have you looked into his eyes, Rei? Really looked?"

Rei heaves an annoyed breath. Fond though he is of Haru, dealing with laymen can be so very irritating. "His eyes," he says, "are made of a thermoplastic polymer, specifically polymethyl methacrylate, which conceals mechanical visual sensors and is lubricated by artificial tears. They may look human, but they are definitely not. As it happens, I worked on the design of these particular eyes myself, and I am very pleased by the realistic shading of the iris. But I can assure you that when you look into Makoto's eyes, you are not seeing a 'soul.' You are merely seeing extremely detailed plastic."

Haru stares into the emerald eyes for a moment longer. At last he turns away, and meets Rei's gaze instead. "You really want me to keep him?" he says, a little line appearing between his black brows. "Isn't he worth an awful lot?"

"He is a loan," Rei answers. "I'd like him to reside with you for four weeks. You may use him for whatever purpose you desire, but I would ask that you keep detailed records of your experiences. You should be aware that the computer that comprises his 'brain' will keep an record of his experiences, too, and that it will be downloaded and analyzed at the end of the testing period. But your privacy will be protected, I assure you. At the end of that time, he will return to Ryuugazaki Robotics for study, and any necessary adjustments, and then he will likely be sold. You can take him anywhere you choose, but he is extremely valuable, so please do not unnecessarily expose him to danger."

Haru's forehead wrinkles more than before, and Rei senses he's wavering. He fixes Haru with a pleading gaze. "Haru, please. This is a necessary beta test, and we cannot move forward on this model without it. I am asking you to help because you're my friend, and I trust you."

He decides to omit the fact that this was all Nagisa's idea. That will likely only make Haru rebel.

Haru turns his head and studies the android again. "He can't hurt me, right? That's like the First Law of Robotics or something, isn't it?"

Rei barely avoids facepalming himself. Laymen. _Ugh._ "The First Law of Robotics is a fictional construct in Isaac Asimov's stories," he answers, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. "There is no such law. But I can assure you that his programming does proscribe him from ever hurting a human."

"Which is completely different from the First Law of Robotics, in some incomprehensible fashion known only to Rei," Nagisa puts in helpfully.

"It is a matter of programming," Rei says with dignity. "Not fiction."

"Okay. So he can't hurt me. And this would help you out." Haru studies the android, who has not moved, and Rei can see something odd beginning to gleam in the depths of his eyes. Something almost like... sympathy.

Damn it. A feeling of foreboding makes his stomach sink. He swallows, thinking that perhaps he should've listened to his first instinct, rather than letting Nagisa talk him into this crazy scheme. After all, Haru is an artist, not a scientist. He's a creature of imagination and whimsy. And furthermore, he's lonely as hell. He needs someone to talk to, someone to bond with, someone to care for. All at once Rei is terribly afraid that before long, Makoto isn't going to seem like a mere machine to Haru. 

In a few days, he's going to be thinking of Makoto as a person.


	3. Chapter 3

"So how am I supposed to treat him?"

Haruka-senpai seems to have decided to accept this "loan," at least for now, and Rei can't quite decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand, Haru needs someone. He always has. Rei has known him since high school, and in all that time he's never had a real relationship. He's too quiet, too introverted, and most people have a hard time seeing through the still, silent waters to the deep currents flowing underneath.

Then again, what Haru needs is someone real, not a construct-- not even a beautifully designed and engineered construct. But he reminds himself that the idea is that being with Makoto, programmed as he is to be friendly and approachable, might help bring out Haru's ability to connect with people. Viewed in the light of practice for a real relationship with a real human, it isn't that bad a plan. Haru simply needs to be reminded, very firmly, that Makoto is not a sentient being, with no thoughts and emotions of his own, and in fact is no more "human" than the little Roomba that is currently buzzing quietly over a distant corner of the floor.

Haru, Rei thinks, should be able to attract nearly anyone he wants, if only he'll put a little effort into learning how to approach people. Rei has always found Haru extremely attractive (though he loves Nagisa far too much to ever do anything but admire his friend from afar). Haru is undeniably beautiful, slightly taller with Rei, with a slim, muscled build and brilliant blue eyes. His hair is a deep, glossy black, although Haru has an unfortunate habit of letting it alternate between letting it grow into his face and having it sloppily hacked off at the barber shop on the corner. Right now it's in its too-long phase, the bangs hanging messily over his eyes, which makes it hard to tell exactly what he's thinking. 

Not that Rei can ever read Haru that well. He's known him for years, and flatters himself that he knows Haru better than almost anyone, but... well, Haru is hard to decipher.

He becomes aware that he's been standing there, lost in thought, and clears his throat self-consciously. "Treat him however you like," he says. "He's entirely yours for four weeks."

"For anything you want!" Nagisa pipes brightly. "Anything at all!"

"But I mean..." Haru looks at the android, and his forehead wrinkles. "Am I sort of... socializing him?"

Rei barely avoids rolling his eyes. He reminds himself that Haru is an artist, and knows absolutely nothing about robotic engineering. "He's an android," he answers, as patiently as he can manage, "not a puppy or a baby. He has already been imprinted with an artificial personality matrix. That won't change, regardless of his future experiences."

"So you're saying he doesn't learn."

Rei shrugs. "He learns, to a certain, limited degree. He can remember your coffee preferences, for example. He can learn what music you like to listen to, what to clean on your desk and what not to touch, and how you prefer your mackerel cooked."

"And what you like in bed!" Nagisa adds, chirpily helpful as always.

Rei tries to frown disapprovingly at his boyfriend, but it's difficult. Nagisa is so damn cute. "That too," he says. "But if you're asking if he can learn and grow like a human-- the answer is no. He can't. The purpose of a beta test is not to alter or improve his programming, which is not possible for you to do. It's to make certain there are no errors in his software. No 'bugs,' as it were."

Haru's gaze hasn't shifted away from the android. "Can I leave him alone in the apartment?"

"Of course. But as I said, he can go out into public with you, too. Feel free to take him with you on an errands. Just kindly don't advertise the fact that he's a machine. We are trying to keep this line of androids under wraps until we're quite certain they're ready to be sold to the public."

Haru frowns. "Won't he set off metal detectors everywhere we go?"

"No," Rei answers. "Virtually all of his frame is constructed of plastics rather than metal. And his exterior is every bit as human as yours is."

Haru looks puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"His skin, his hair, his musculature-- it's all human flesh, grown over an artificial skeleton. In our labs, we utilize induced pluripotent stem cells to create an exterior that can't be distinguished from a real human. He even has a fluid that simulates blood running through him, though it's dependent on an artificial pump, not a human heart. Eventually we hope to grown an entire human body, including eyes, internal organs, and skeleton, around an android brain, but we do not have the technology to accomplish that feat just yet. But one day... one day, we will." Rei waves toward Makoto. "This model is only the first step."

"An entire human body?" Haru repeats, sounding dubious. "Wouldn't that be, you know, a human?"

"Humanity resides in the brain," Rei says firmly. "Not in the body."

Haru's eyes flicker toward Makoto, a dubious glint shining in their blue depths, and for once he can almost see what Haru is thinking. _He **looks** awfully human._ And it's true. Dressed as he is in jeans and a bright green t-shirt, Makoto could easily pass for a perfectly ordinary guy. He wouldn't attract attention on the train or in a crowded city street (except perhaps for his beauty). He is designed to be an everyday companion, to accompany his owners to the store in order to carry groceries, to accompany children to the park, to greet guests at the door. And thus he looks as human as Rei himself does.

But his humanity is only an illusion. 

And Rei hopes, very sincerely, that Haruka-senpai won't be drawn in by the illusion.

*****

When the door to the apartment finally closes behind his friends, Haru turns to the robot. Android. Whatever. It-- he?-- Haru decides to call it he for now. He is standing there, motionless, expressionless. _Waiting for input,_ Haru thinks grimly. 

"Hey, you," he says, and then remembers the thing has a name. "Uh, Makoto. Why don't you sit down?"

The thing-- no, _Makoto._ Makoto cocks its-- _his_ head and appears to contemplate the question. At last he says, "Because you have not asked me."

Haru, who never, ever smiles, let alone laughs, can't help the sharp crack of laughter that escapes him. _Literal much?_ he thinks. He isn't sure if Makoto is being so literal because he's a robot, or because Rei, the King of Literal, programmed him.

Then again, he wonders if Rei was actually the one who programmed him. Ryuugazaki Robotics is a big company, after all. He remembers Rei mentioning that he had a hand in designing those beautiful green eyes. But surely an enormous amount of work must go into creating something like this. Rei can't possibly have done it all.

Makoto is still standing there. Haru is half tempted to pose him artistically and leave him standing in the living room for four weeks, like a sculpture. That'd serve Rei right.

But a glance at Makoto's eyes, which (despite being made of plastic) are somehow grave, sorrowful, _soulful,_ dissuades him from that course of action. Making Makoto just stand there for weeks would be cruel, or at least it would feel that way, and for whatever reason, he can't bring himself to be unkind to this particular... thing.

"No, no," he says. "I meant, please sit down."

Part of him wonders at his courtesy. He's rarely this polite even to real humans. But there's something about Makoto that makes him feel-- well, protective. _It must be the eyes,_ he decides. They really are something. It's hard to believe they're plastic.

The android cocks his head again-- it's a charming little gesture that someone seems to have programmed into him, which gives him a friendly look despite his size-- and considers the available seating. "Where would you like me to sit, Haruka-san?"

"Just call me Haru. Uh... the couch. Sit on the couch."

He's curious as to whether the android can pick out a couch from the seating arrangement. Sure enough, he smoothly crosses to the gray couch and sinks down onto the plush leather cushions.

The couch doesn't collapse, so apparently he doesn't weigh as much as one might suppose. Haru guesses that's part of the reason why his internal framework is constructed of plastic instead of metals-- a sex robot wouldn't be much good if he was so heavy he couldn't lie down in a bed without breaking the frame, after all, and a companion robot could hardly be of any use if he couldn't sit on normal furniture. It makes sense that Makoto couldn't weigh much more than a human of comparable size.

He is certainly a convincing imitation. His brown hair is shaggy, even a little messy. It must have been breezy outside, because there are strands out of place. Haru recalls that it's real hair, not a wig, which must mean that it has to be cut, just like anyone else's. And his skin and muscles are real, too. He can't help but wonder what the guy looks like, beneath his jeans and t-shirt. Since he's a "sex robot," as Nagisa so bluntly put it, he's presumably human-looking, well... _everywhere._

He's so gorgeous it almost hurts to look at him. Haru is assailed by the sudden desire to sketch him. He scoffs at himself, but then realizes it's a good idea. After all, he has this thing-- er, guy-- in his apartment for the next four weeks. And Makoto is specifically designed to be beautiful. Why _shouldn't_ he use him as a model?

"Stay there," he says, and belatedly thinks he sounds like he's speaking to a dog. The android probably isn't as smart as the average afghan hound, but he looks human, and talking to him that way makes Haru uncomfortable. "Uh, please."

Makoto waits, obedient, patient, motionless. Haru grabs his favorite sketchbook and a charcoal pencil, and gets to work.


	4. Chapter 4

Haruka-san is silent for a long time as the implement in his hand scratches over the paper pad in his lap. He glances up and down, first studying Makoto with a frown on his face, then rapidly sketching lines onto the paper. He repeats this process over and over again. His eyes are bright blue, and very intent, and Makoto wonders why Haruka-san is expending so much effort to sketch him. After all, he is only a machine, and surely not worthy of so much of a human's attention.

Haruka-san, he knows, is an artist. He knows this because the small blond human, Nagisa-san, gave him this information on the drive over (mixed in amidst a flood of other information, some of which he understood and some of which he filed away for future consideration). Makoto is programmed with a basic understanding of most human professions, and so he knows that an artist is someone who draws or sculpts or creates other forms of self-expression.

What he does not understand is _why._

He would like to ask: _Why are you using me as a model? Is not the purpose of art to create beauty? If so, then what is the purpose of drawing something as ordinary and mundane as an android?_

But he cannot ask, because his programming does not allow him to make "small talk" unless specifically authorized to do so. So he sits quietly, as instructed, and observes the apartment with his peripheral vision, being careful not to move (because Haruka-san told him to "sit on the couch. Stay there," and until he is given new instructions he will remain here, motionless, as long as his human musculature can manage it).

There are paintings on the walls, and he notes the character that says "Haruka" on them, and infers that these are works painted by Haruka-san. They are mostly representations of water-- waves crashing against sand ( _ocean,_ his built-in memories inform him, even though he has never seen an ocean and very likely never will); golden light glinting off the surface of a puddle; a drop of water hanging precariously from a stem of grass. Haruka-san seems to have a decided fondness for water, which once again makes Makoto wonder why he is drawing _him._

But it is not his place to wonder. His place is simply to do what pleases his human. And for four weeks, Haruka-san is his human.

So he sits, without so much as twitching. His skin and muscles may be organic, but his control over them is considerably better than that of a human. His muscles will eventually grow tired of remaining in one position, but he suspects he can remain seated and motionless much longer than Haruka-san can.

In any event, due to his programming, he is at his most content around humans. He is not _happy,_ per se, because that would imply an emotional response, but being in a human's presence always gives him a warm sensation of rightness. Serving humans, after all, is what he was made for. And somehow that sensation is amplified around Haruka-san. Makoto isn't sure why, but he thinks it might have something to do with the way Haruka-san stared up into his eyes a few moments ago.

For just a moment, Haruka-san had looked at him as no one else ever has, as if he were... human. Which of course he is not, so why it should make him feel that way, he has no idea.

At last Haruka-san's implement slows, then stills entirely. He frowns down at the paper for a long moment, then tears it out of the pad and shoves it toward Makoto.

"What do you think?"

Makoto takes the paper and holds it gently, cocking his head as he studies the drawing. He has seen himself in reflections before, of course, and he easily recognizes the image of his own face, even though it is not a precise copy. The width of his nose is a good many microns off, for one thing, and his eyes are not actually quite that large, though Haruka-san seems to have captured the way they tilt down at the corners quite convincingly. Also, the drawing is rendered in shades of gray, so his most noticeable feature, the bright green shade of his eyes, is not depicted.

But he is aware that art is not generally intended to be perfectly precise (except in the case of a specific genre of art called _photorealism,_ his memory banks helpfully inform him), and that it is usually intended to provoke an emotional response. Unfortunately, as an android he is incapable of emotional responses.

And yet this drawing stirs something in him, something he can't even begin to identify. 

"It is an excellent likeness," he answers, handing it back.

Something like disappointment flickers in Haruka-san's eyes. "That's it?"

"I do not possess a great deal of background information regarding art," Makoto says, "but your technique appears to be very good."

Haruka-san frowns at him for a long moment, then he abruptly points to the painting over the couch. "What about that?"

"It is the ocean," Makoto says,"and appears to be rendered in watercolors."

"Do you like it?"

Makoto feels his forehead wrinkle (a human response that has been programmed into him to create a more lifelike appearance). "Do I like the ocean? I have never seen it."

"Do you like the _painting,_ " Haruka-san clarifies. There is an edge of irritation to his voice, and Makoto remembers that he apparently painted it, and that humans require compliments and approval to function well. 

"It shows great artistry," he says, striving for words that will make his designated human happy. "It seems to be an accurate depiction."

"But what do you like about it?"

Makoto feels himself growing confused. He has provided praise, and he is unsure what else is required. Perhaps his human needs more praise. He struggles to elaborate. "The way the spray from the waves glints in the light is very realistic," he offers. "You are clearly an excellent artist, Haruka-san."

"I told you, call me Haru. And quit with the compliments. It's creepy. I just want to know what it makes you _feel._ "

As if for emphasis, he balls his hand into a closed fist and places it against the middle of his chest. Makoto frowns again.

"It makes me feel nothing..." He is programmed with deferential politeness, so it is difficult for him to utter the next word. But he has been given a direct order twice, so he must. " _Haru._ I am an android. I feel nothing when I look at art. I am sorry."

Haru's eyes are glinting with something that looks very like anger. Makoto is confused, because he is reasonably certain that he has done nothing to enrage Haru. But perhaps the anger is not aimed at him.

"What if I kicked you?" Haru says, and his voice is hard and cold. "Or stomped on your foot? Would you feel something then? Are you even capable of feeling pain?"

Taken aback by the ice in his voice, Makoto blinks. "Yes. Emotional responses and physical reactions are two entirely different things. I have human skin and muscles, as well as human nerves which attach to a mechanical nervous system. I may not feel pain quite as humans do, but I feel pain."

Haru makes a growling sound and jumps to his feet, beginning to prowl the apartment restlessly. Makoto watches him, confused. He is uncertain what purpose it serves to walk back and forth, but he is fairly sure it is an expression of anger. At last Haru comes to a halt in front of him.

"This is so _wrong,_ " he says.

Makoto looks up at him with concern. He is incapable of feeling guilty, but the knowledge that he has caused his human distress does create an unpleasant sensation deep within his operating system. "I am sorry, Haruka-san," he says, dropping back into the courteous form of address. "Tell me what I have done wrong, and I will attempt to rectify my error."

"Not _you,_ Makoto. Well... yeah, it is you. But it's not your fault. It's the people who made you-- and Rei. _Rei._ He's supposed to be a genius, damn it. Didn't he ever stop to-- to _think?_ Or was he just so caught up in the thrill of creating something new, something that's never been done before, that he didn't even consider what could happen to you?"

"I am sorry. I do not understand."

Haru stares down at him. The rage in his bright eyes is giving way to something else, something softer. Makoto thinks it might be pity.

"You may not have emotions," Haru says, "but you can feel physical sensations. Right?"

"Yes."

"Pleasure and pain? Both?"

"Yes," Makoto says again.

"I guess that figures." Haru's voice sounds almost bitter. "You wouldn't be much fun in bed if you didn't feel anything at all, I suppose. If you didn't enjoy it. But there are people who-- I mean, the people who own you, Makoto, who control you... they won't always just want to make you happy. There are people who..."

Makoto tilts his head to designate confusion, and Haru sighs.

"Look," he says, more gently. "I'm not good at explaining things. I'm not good with words in general. But-- but-- look, what if I kicked you?"

"As I said previously, it would hurt me."

"So would you stop me?"

Makoto frowns. "Of course not."

"Yeah, I figured. I remember those old books about robots. I read them when I was a teenager. Rei looked at me like I was an idiot when I mentioned them-- but I'm pretty sure your programming is based on the Three Laws of Robotics, even if he won't admit it. I mean, that's the Second Law, that a robot has to obey a human. And you have to obey me, right? You have to do whatever I say?"

"Unless it would result in bodily harm or property damage or otherwise break laws, yes."

"Right, so I can't use you to rob a bank or kill someone. But otherwise, I can pretty much do anything I want with you, right?"

"Of course."

"Shit," Haru says under his breath. " _Damn_ it."

Makoto is still puzzled. "If you wish to hurt me, Haruka-san--"

"No." Haru puts up his hands, in a motion that Makoto correctly interprets as _stop talking now._ He subsides into silence, and Haru goes on. "I don't want to hurt you. Not now, not _ever._ If I ever hurt you, in any way, shape or form, you need to tell me. Okay, Makoto?"

This is a direct order, easily complied with. "All right, Haruka-san."

"Call me Haru, damn it. But look. Here's the thing. You aren't going to be with me forever. And other people might want to hurt you. Some people are kind of... abusive. You know?"

Makoto nods. He is programmed with an extensive understanding of human psychology, and he grasps that humans are not always above reproach, and that they sometimes hurt (and even kill) other humans. Just the thought is enough to make him extremely uncomfortable. The idea of a human being harmed disturbs him far more than the thought of his own theoretical pain does. 

"They can hurt you," Haru says, very slowly and very clearly, "and the law won't be able to do anything to stop them, because you're not human. So they might hurt you a whole lot. You can't let them do that to you, Makoto. Understand?"

"If that happens," Makoto responds, "there is nothing I can do to prevent it."

"And that's why this is so fucking _wrong,_ " Haru snaps.

Makoto is unclear on why Haru is becoming so agitated about this. The concept of pain is an abstract one, so far as Makoto is concerned. He is aware that he can be hurt, but unlike humans, he is too graceful to stub his toe or jam his finger under ordinary circumstances, and in the lab, he has always been well treated. The worst pain he has ever experienced is a small jolt of electricity to make sure his nervous system is working correctly, and although that was mildly unpleasant, it was not especially disturbing. So the prospect of pain in the future is not terribly alarming to him.

But Haru seems very dismayed, and Makoto does not like it when his human is dismayed.

"It will be all right, Haru," he answers. "I trust you."

Haru looks down at him for a long moment, and then one of his hands drops onto Makoto's shoulder. At the touch, Makoto feels an odd shimmering sensation run through his nervous system. _Pleasure,_ his mind informs him. Though why he should find such a casual touch pleasing, he has no idea.

"I know you do," Haru says. "But the thing is, you really can't help it, can you? Trust is... well, it's programmed into you, isn't it?"

"Yes," Makoto acknowledges. "It is."

Haru heaves a deep sigh, and his fingers tighten on Makoto's shoulder.

"I'll try my best to be worthy of it," he says softly.


End file.
